The Rusty Blackbird breeds in the northern forests of Canada and winters mostly in the southern United States. Both Christmas Bird Count and Breeding Bird Survey data indicate a large decrease in numbers since the early 1970s. Since more than 80% of the world's Rusty Blackbirds nest in Canada's boreal forests, Canada has a very high responsibility for the species. In 2006, the Rusty Blackbird was assessed as a species of Special Concern by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada, based on these population declines (re-confirmed in 2017; COSEWIC 2017e) and then listed under the Species at Risk Act in 2009. This species has been identified as a priority for conservation and/or stewardship in one or more Bird Conservation Region Strategies in Canada.
Causes of population declines in the Rusty Blackbird remain largely unknown, but are thought to be due to habitat loss on the winter range (e.g., conversion of wetlands to agricultural and urban habitats) in the southeastern U.S. (COSEWIC 2017e). Other possible causes of decline include wetland acidification, mercury contamination, disease, and habitat loss and degradation on the breeding grounds through conversion to agriculture, peat production, reservoir formation, and logging, as well as drying and changing water chemistry of boreal wetlands due to climate change (Greenberg and Matsuoka 2010). For information on the legal status of this species under the Species at Risk Act (SARA) and to view available management plans, see the SARA Registry.
Environment and Climate Change Canada and partners have developed Bird Conservation Region Strategies in each of Canada’s Bird Conservation Regions (BCRs). In these strategies, selected species are identified as priorities for one or more of the following reasons:
Select any of the sub-regions below to view the BCR strategy for additional details.
